


shield and sword

by AslansCompass



Category: Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 04:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18087842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AslansCompass/pseuds/AslansCompass
Summary: If you were to ask who has the harder job, Sapphire and Steel would have different answers.





	shield and sword

_sword: sapphire on steel_

Well, it's not that simple. All assignments are based on individual strengths and skills. They would never send Silver on a mission requiring force, or--well, yes, I suppose I agree that Steel is a poor choice for anything requiring tact, but only if he's by himself.  Assignments are generally partnered for a reason, of course.  Not always the same partners; I've worked with Silver, Jet , even Radium.  Different dynamics,  different situations. Now, if you're asking about Steel and I, well...don't tell him, he'd never let me forget it, but I admire him.

No, more than that. I trust him. And that might not seem like much, but in our line of work, it's the most important tool we have. I specialize in investigation, going in and uncovering what's going on, whether that means reading objects or asking questions. Sometimes that puts me on the front lines, face to face with the incursion. And I can do that because I know Steel's got my back.

Any assignment I'm on, it might be nothing. A vague sense of deja vu,  a misplaced vase. It might be a converging cyclone,  multiplied by synergy. But Steel knows exactly what is at stake, what could go wrong. I can trust him to save me. He has to save himself. There's no fallback, no second chance for him. 

Yes, he's gruff, blunt, even harsh at times, but that's his nature. 'Steel' isn't just a code name, you know. Neither is 'Sapphire,' in fact. We're... well, I suppose the closest word in your language would be 'Elements,' even if your understanding of reality doesn't quite align with ours. In any case, I'm not exactly being honest with you; not lying, not deliberately, but humans can't understand the concepts, even as metaphors. 

_shield: steel on sapphire_

I could never do what she does. Opening your mind to other influences like that--you never know what's out there, whether it's young or old, cruel or kind, cunning or thick.  The Roundhead homestead, the rail station darkness, all those mindless forces trying to destroy reality. Whatever I've faced, whatever I've had to do, it's with the knowledge that my mind is my own, my thoughts are my own. 

I've been on solitary assignments. Perhaps not as much as Lead, but more than Silver (I'm not a technician, after all).  The razor-focus, the sharp stand between reality and chaos; it's what I've been trained for. It's what I'm _for._  

In human terms, it sounds so simple. So bold and brave. But it's not bravery; at least, not if bravery is what they say about doing something that scares you. My job doesn't scare me. 

Sapphire's does. To step in with no idea what's behind the curtain. To face danger with no recourse.  If _I'm_ in danger, I can freeze it, make myself a weapon. She can't.  She dives into the darkness, trusting that someone will catch her. 


End file.
